The present invention relates broadly to home appliances for cooking and, more particularly, to a range having a griddle for cooking and an improved griddle cover.
Ranges provide a number of cooking options through, for example, ovens, steamers, cooktops and griddles. Griddles usually feature a generally planar cooking surface, with many griddles including some form of non-stick coating.
When not in use, the non-stick surface of a griddle should be protected from airborne contaminants as well as splashes, spills and overflows from cooking operations elsewhere on the cooktop. Further, the non-stick coating of the griddle should be protected from abrasion, scratches, gouges, and other damage that metallic utensils and other cooking implements can inflict. Accordingly, a griddle cover is desired.
The griddle cover should be attractive and coordinate with the overall appearance of the range while providing sufficient protection for the griddle. Further, a griddle cover should remain in covering relation with the griddle unless removed by a user of the range. The griddle cover could be made from a material similar to the griddle, i.e., with a non-stick coating. However, such a cover would be expensive, wasteful of materials and likely too heavy to function as an effective griddle cover.
Accordingly, stainless steel may be used to provide a light and attractive griddle cover. However, stainless steel or other metals can be abrasive to the non-stick coating on the griddle surface. In the past, a silicone gasket fixed to the bottom of the griddle cover by adhesive was used to protect the coated griddle from damage by the metallic cover.
A silicone gasket on the bottom of the griddle cover is effective in protecting the griddle cover however it is costly to manufacture due to the need to provide both a gasket and adhesive that are resistant to high temperatures associated with a range Further, the assembly of such a griddle cover with a silicone gasket is generally labor intensive. Therefore, there exists a need for a griddle cover that avoids the above-described problems.